After increasing slightly in September, government employment decreased slightly in October, according to seasonally adjusted figures in today's U.S. Labor Department jobs report.
A summary snapshot of the latest numbers for the public sector:
The net result has been very little change over the past two months -- which runs counter to the Obama administration's insistence that a fresh dose of stimulus is necessary to prevent mass layoffs in the state and local sector, especially among teachers. The data continue to indicate that, as in previous recessions, state and local employment continues to slowly subside from peak levels, while remaining right around the long-term, norm as a share of total employment.
Join the conversation